


Zena the Mandalorian (title open for change!)

by BABY_YODA_LOVER



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars: Jedi: Fallen Order (Video Game), Star Wars: Rebels, The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:08:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24564367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BABY_YODA_LOVER/pseuds/BABY_YODA_LOVER
Summary: Zena's life was turned upside down when the Empire massacred her village. She's given a chance with the Mandalorians. Her life is turned upside down once again when she has to work for the Empire. The people who killed her family and friends. Zena will not let this slide.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 1





	1. Home

**Author's Note:**

> I don't really know anything about the Star Wars Universe, so please don't bully me if something isn't true. Also, I know the timeline is wrong, but I only realized that AFTER I started writing. So just pretend the Empire came back and it's repeating what it's done in the past or something. I'm going to be *TRYING* to post a chapter each Monday and Friday. Please don't hold me to that, since writing fan fiction is really hard and I have terrible memory. Also, if you want to make fan art, I am SO honored. Feel free to do so. I will try to respond to each comment I get. Also, for Mando'a translations, go to this link:
> 
> https://lingojam.com/Mandoa-EnglishTranslator 
> 
> Shout out to my friends Anika, Scarlett, Annie, and Parvati. I love you guys. Sorry but I know I have to mention them if I don't want to get screamed at by Scarlett and Parvati.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment! They give me the motivation to write more. Also, here's a list of fan fictions I read, so you don't have to scour the web for more.  
> 1\. The curious happenstance of Pedro Pascal and Din Djarin by megasaurus and jadasy(AO3)  
> 2\. Hidden and Revealed by LadyIrina (Sequel to Family and Home)(AO3)  
> 3\. Memoirs of a Mandalorian by ThatOtherWriterGirl (Fanfiction.net)  
> 4.Cuy Ogir’olar by ClandestineCat (AO3)

You can’t stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting.  
-Shmi Skywalker

Zena finished her second blueberry pancake. It was her birthday, so her mom decided to make a special treat for breakfast. Zena couldn’t believe it. She was seven! Seven whole years old. “Run along, dear. Katie has been asking to see you since 6:30.” Zena grinned at that. Katie was such a good friend. She NEVER forgot Zena’s birthday, unlike Raun. She hopped down from the stool and slipped her boots on. As she ran out of her little hut, Katie came running at her, tackling her into a bear hug. Zena hugs her back. Raun comes running over, panting heavily. “H-hi Zena!” He mumbles, running his hand over his neck. Zena hugs him too. “Come on, Zena!!! The whole village is waiting!” Katie grabs Zena’s hand and starts running toward the meeting area of the village. Zena laughs, and starts running so her new boots don’t get dragged in the mud. Raun runs behind them, still panting. When they get there, Katie immediately sits down in the back. Raun sits next to her. Katie pushes Zena to the center of the circle. The whole village starts singing the traditional birthday song, when Zena hears a scream. Someone on the opposite side of the village had seen something. Zena turns around, and hears a gunshot. She screams and runs toward the bunker her mama told her about. Then she remembers Katie and Raun. She runs back to get them. She gets a hold of Raun, and is about to grab Katie’s hand, when Katie screams. Then she falls to the ground. Zena notices a red splotch on the front of Katie’s dress. Zena knows what that means. She had seen it on Papa, before he died. It meant Katie was dying. Zena starts crying, when she hears a familiar voice. “I know, dear. Come on, we have to go.” It was her mama. Zena hugs her, then starts to run back to the bunker, her mother’s hand still around her. Suddenly, the hand unwraps herself. Now there is a red spot on Mama too. “ Keep, going. I lov-” Mama falters, before falling to the ground. Zena cries harder. She runs as fast as she can. She finally jumps into the bunker, and slams the door behind her. It’s only her, Raun, and Sella. The door opens. It’s a monster. It looks like a human, but has horns on its head. It’s holding a gun, the biggest Zena’s ever seen. It shoots. Raun slumps down. Zena cowers in the corner. It shoots again. BOOM! Down Sella goes. Zena always hated Sella, but she didn’t want her to die. The humanoid turns to her, aims, and she hears a gunshot. She braces herself for the pain, but it doesn’t come. When she cautiously blinks open her eyes, she sees not the creature, but someone in full yellow armor. He, she thinks it’s a he, has a helmet with a T-shaped visor. He reaches his hand out. Zena doesn’t trust him, but she doesn’t have much of a choice. The man is, after all, holding a variety of weapons, none of which Zena wants to know how work. She grabs his gloved hand carefully, and he pulls her so he’s carrying Zena like a baby. She stares into his visor. Even though she can’t see his face, she knows the face is a look of empathy. Zena starts to relax back, when suddenly she feels a jostle. She looks down, and realizes with a start, that she’s flying. She’s flying. The man is flying, and she is too. She closes her eyes, and lets her shoulder length hair shimmer in the wind. Her hair is like a dark brown bird, flying next to her. Zena doesn’t remember when she falls asleep in the man’s arms.


	2. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post two chapters today since this is my first fan fiction!!!

“Every time I walked away from something I wanted to forget, I told myself it was for a cause that I believed in. A cause that was worth it. Without that, we’re lost.”  
-Cassian Andor

When Zena wakes, she’s on a very comfy bed. She opens her eyes, and the events of yesterday come flooding back to her. As she gains sense of her surroundings, she notices the man who saved her yesterday is sitting in a chair, staring at her. He abandoned his armor for a simple shirt and pants, but still has the helmet on. Zena wonders why. “Hey.” The man says, shifting uncomfortably. “Hi?” Zena replies. “Who are you? Where am I? Why did you rescue me? Why are you always wearing that helmet?” The man chuckles, then sighs. He stands up, and sits back down. “ Let’s start from the top. My name is Kel. Kel Shorr. I am a Mandalorian. We are a creed of warriors. You are in our covert, and my living quarters. I rescued you because I am on the Death Watch, and it’s my job. I’m not allowed to take off the helmet in front of any other living thing.” This, in Zena’s opinion, did not clear things up. She starts to ask questions again. “ What’s a Mandalorian? What’s a creed? What’s a covert? What’s a Death Watch?” The man chuckles again, and rubs the back of his neck, much like something Raun would do. The thought of Raun makes her begin to cry. The man slumps down, then comes over and sits next to Zena. He rubs her back. “Hey. I know you’ve been through a lot. Everyone here’s been through what you’re going through. Even me. Would you like to meet my friends?” Zena simply nods miserably. “Alright then. Let me go get my armor back on, and we’ll head out!” The man slaps his hands together, and heaves himself up. He walks through a doorway, and closes the door behind him. Zena stares at the door. She still had so many questions. What did he mean, everyone has been through this? She gets so lost in thought, that when the door opens again a few minutes later, she practically jumps through the ceiling. “Careful there, kid. Can’t have you dying before training, can we? By the way, what’s your name?”   
“Zena.” she states. “Zena Willhause.” She’s proud she remembers her last name. If mama had been here, she would’ve been so happy. The thought of mama sobers Zena up though. “Great! Zena… better then my name!”  
“I like your name! It sounds like a cool mystical sort of name.” Zena replies indignantly. The man simply laughs.   
“Alright. Let’s go then.” The man led her down a maze of hallways, before leading her through a large arch. “ MAE!!! Mae where are you?”  
“ Hi Kel. Looking for me?” The lady Mandalorian appears from behind them. Even Kel jumps back. The woman snorts at that, and then turns her gaze to Zena. “New foundling? She seems tough. I can already tell she’s Mandokarla.”  
“Ni don't kar'taylir. She cuyir orikih.”(I don’t know. She is tiny.)  
“N'usulu. Does ibac Gev ni teh kicking gar sheb'ika o'r a akaanir, gar di’kut???”(Excuse me. Does that stop ME from kicking your butt in a fight, you idiot???)  
“No…” The man replies truthfully. Zena did not understand a word of what either of them just said. Perhaps the woman could sense it, because just then she said, “That was Mando’a. Second thing you’ll learn here at ‘Foundling Academy’.” Kel and Mae then break off into a lengthy conversation in Mando’a. Zena quickly grows bored, and goes off to join a group of some other kids she sees nearby. “Hey.” She waves shyly. The oldest kid there is already wearing a helmet, and beckons for her to join. “Alright kids. We’ve got ourselves a new foundling! Now, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO?!?!”  
“BE HER BEST FRIEND!!!” The rest of the kids replied. Zena couldn’t help but laugh.”Step one, done. We made her laugh. Step two, figure out her name. Come to think of it, maybe that should’ve been step one. Too late now. What IS your name?”  
“Uh… Zena.”  
“ Alright folks. I want to introduce you to the one and only… ZENA…” He turns to her and whispers.”What’s your last name?”  
“Willhause.”  
“ZENA WILLHAUSE!!! And as Mae has already declared, she might be Mandokarla. Now what does that mean?” The kids shouted back.   
“HAVING THE RIGHT STUFF TO BE A MANDALORIAN!!!” At this the kid in the helmet nodded.


	3. Betrayal

“Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.”  
-Yoda

Zena turned 13 today. She had been training to be a Mandalorian for six years now. Today was the day she got to show it, with her armor. She already had her design picked out. She was staring at herself in the mirror, knowing it would be the last time anyone saw her face for a long time. She would savor this. As she continued to stare into the mirror, she heard a knocking. She ran over to the door, only to see Kel standing there. “Su cuy'gar Kuir.”(Hello Kuir) She had taken to calling him ‘Kuir’. It was a mix of Kel, and Buir, which meant father. The man simply slaps her head gently. She hugged him, and maneuvered around him to dive into the hallway. He turned around, only to see her already halfway down the hall. She got to meet the Armorer today. At least, that’s what she thought. She hated the empire. She hated it since the day she learnt that it was a team of Zabraks working for the empire that had attacked her village. Which is why she immediately reached for her blaster when she saw a stormtrooper in the central meeting area. Kel pushed her weapon down.”I know you hate the empire. But the Armorer joined forces with them. We work for the empire now.” Zena sneered at the news. She would not work for the empire. But if she was forced to work with them, then so be it. She would destroy them from the inside out. She knew others would agree with her. Both of her friends Riz and Nuli would agree with her. Which is why she was dismayed when she didn’t see Riz’ familiar blue and brown armor. She is even more dismayed when Riz comes to talk to her, but is not wearing his own armor. He is wearing what looks like a mix between Mandalorian and Stormtrooper armor. Oh no. Would she have to wear that armor too? She would still add her chosen colors. She didn’t care if she would die for it, she would wear them. She nearly raised her blaster when a stormtrooper walked in front of her. “Here, kid. There’s your armor.” Zena glowered at him. She snatched the armor and walked away. She was glad she had been planning on painting the armor herself. She had all the paints she needed for painting the armor. The helmet had the same T-shaped visor, but there was a separation between where the two lines should intersect. There were two antennas on either side, but the one on the left was higher. The rest of the armor looked like Stormtrooper armor. It wasn’t made out of Beskar, but it was made out of a powerful metal. She grabbed her paints. Three large dots of light green underneath where her eyes would be, an upside down light green triangle above the visor, purple on the antennas, A scarlet diamond on the chest plate, yellow on the shoulder pads, and the Imperial patch painted Scarlet and black. She threw on her gray outfit, and put the armor on. She walked out, all armor on, other than the helmet. She knew she needed to officially swear into the creed before doing that. She figured she also probably had to swear herself in with the empire. Ugh. She found her way back to the meeting area, just in time for the ceremony. She lined herself up next to Nuli, and Carthor. She didn’t like Carthor, but the excitement was making her forget all about him. She squeezed Nuli’s hand. Nuli smiled at her, her blond bangs falling into her eyes. Zena could tell from Nuli’s eyes that some of the excitement had been lost, since they didn’t get to choose their armor. Zena decided she would help Nuli after the ceremony. They had planned on getting the same color, just in different areas, so Zena could use her leftover paint. She had covered all the areas she had painted, so it would be a surprise. Zena glanced down, and noticed that the Mandalorians, and stormtroopers, might be able to just barely see the scarlet on her imperial patch. She moved the bag carrying her helmet slightly to the left, making sure you couldn’t see the patch on the other side either. Nuli was called. Then Carthor, then the rest of the kids. They were always called in the order of who had been rescued, so Zena was alway last. That was fine. She walked up, agreed to the creed that had been spoken, reached into her bag, and pulled the helmet on. Everyone in the audience gasped. She had colored her armor! She noticed a stormtrooper commander walking over. She went up to him first. “ Excuse me, but you are going to have to remove that paint from your armor.” He states.  
“Either the armor stays the way it is, or I don’t work for you. I don’t care if you throw me in front of a firing squad, I will wear these colors to my DEATH!” She practically shouted the last part, and could see the stormtrooper backing away. She ran over to Nuli, and found she missed her striking blue eyes. Zena blushed, and was suddenly grateful she had a helmet on. “I can’t believe you did that. One, you colored the armor, and then you stood up to that stormtrooper commander. He was scared of you. An adult man scared of a twelve year old girl. Not something you see everyday.”  
“He deserved it. And damn right he should be afraid of me. Want me to do your armor, too? I have some leftover paint!”  
“Um… maybe just the upside down triangle in purple. I don’t know if I would be brave enough to stand up to someone like that.”  
“Anything for you. We are a clan of two, even if it’s not official.” Zena blushed again. She pulls Nuli into a gentle kov’nyn. Nuli leans into it. “I can’t believe we’re going to be Imperial Super Commandos instead of real mandalorians!” Zena pulls away. ”I mean, what was the armorer thinking? He just sentenced his entire clan into working for people that quite possibly killed their parents or other people they know. UGH!”  
“I know, I know. But be quiet, the armorer might hear you.”  
“GOOD. Nuli, I have to work for the people who killed my former best friends and my mom. The Armorer better not show his face..er.. Helmet anywhere near me again, or I will kill him myself!”  
“I-I’m gonna go get Mae. Maybe she will be able to calm you down.” Zena watched Nuli struggle, not being able to tell Mae apart from the other Mandalorians without her iconic maroon, green, and orange armor. Finally Nuli found her, and led her back. Zena was leaned up against the wall. “I don’t need to be calmed down. I’m perfectly calm. Just a little ANNOYED and FRUSTRATED that I have to work for the people who killed everyone I loved when I was seven. These people are the people who were in charge of the Zabraks that killed everyone in my village except me. And NOW, thanks to the shabuir Armorer, I have to work for them too.”  
“Do NOT call the Armorer a jerk. I know, my father was killed by the empire, but we have no choice. You know the empire has been purging the Mandalorians. This ensures our survival. Just for now, okay? We’ll find a way to escape. I promise. And you know I don’t break promises.” At that, all three Mandalorians unite and say, “This is the way.”


	4. A Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zena forgives the species that destroyed her life. Well, she starts too, anyways.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter out of the currently 13 1/2 chapters I've written. TWO CHAPTERS TODAY!!! I'm in a good mood, and am on a flow. Also I'm quite possibly delusional because I've been staying up all night writing. No joke, at the time I'm writing this, it's 1:00 in the morning, and I haven't slept at all. POSSIBILITY of fan art coming soon, courtesy of my best friend Scarlett. She hasn't actually decided if she's gonna do it yet, so we'll have to wait. Sorry for talking so much. ON WITH THE PLAY! er... fan fiction. Whatever it is.

“It’s not my fault.”  
-Han Solo

Zena was in a bad mood. Again. She had just found out she would not be partnered with a Mandalorian, but someone else who worked for the empire. Ugh. All she knew was that he was a boy, and three years older. She didn’t know his species, or name. Frankly, she didn’t care. This di’kut better stay out of her way. And on top of all of that, she had to get a new blaster. Apparently, it was required that she had yellow blaster bolts. Why? She had no goddamn clue. No, you know what. She wasn’t getting a new blaster. She was an engineer. Surely she could figure out a way to make the blaster bolts yellow. She just had to do it before seven. She looked up at the sky. It was about two, based on the position of the sun. Five hours then. Fine. She could do that. She looked back at the pad of paper she was carrying. Area 7, Dormitory 8. She glanced around. Area 7! Right to her left. She walked in, and to the right. Dormitory 8 was at the end of the strip. She walked in. It was empty. Good. She had alone time to set up her few belongings. She placed the decorative jar Kel gave her on the nightstand next to her bed. She dragged the quilt Riz had made for her over the bed. Finally, she hung the friendship necklace she and Nuli had made for each other off the edge of the bed. And then, she placed her most private possession next to the pillow. It was a little stuffed rabbit from her old life. It had several pink patches on it, and was floppy and brown. It was quite small, but she loved it. She unholstered her blaster, and began tinkering with it. She grabbed a few tools from the small pouch she had on her belt. It was about two hours later, and she still hadn’t gotten anywhere. All she had was a new scorch mark on the wall. She hit the blaster. “Tion'jor won't gar borarir?!?! And what do you want, you di’kut? I know you’ve been standing in the doorway for the past six minutes and 37 seconds.” She knew her dorm mate had been watching her struggle.  
“Oh um wow. How did you know I was there? I bet you have a camera in the back of your helmet or something, right?” Good, he spoke basic.  
“No. I just have really keen hearing. Also I noticed your shadow.”  
“Kriff. Normally I’m really good at sneaking. Oh and, by the way, try adjusting the autone to the left, and then the metters to the right.” Zena grunts, but decides to give it a try. She shoots out the window. It works! And she hears a rather surprised stormtrooper shout, so that’s a bonus. She laughs, and notices her roommate joins in as well. Good, he’s not a fanatic. She just realized she hasn’t even looked at him yet. She turns around, and sees the all too familiar small curved horns. Her roommate was a Zabrak. “Jamel, at your service. May I know your name?”  
“Mando. My name is mando. To you anyway.”  
“Do you hate people, or just me?”  
“I hate Zabraks, and the Empire, and my di’kut of a leader.”  
“What does di’kut mean? You called me that earlier? And why do you hate Zabraks and the Empire?”  
“It means idiot. And I don’t have to tell you anything, you shabuir.” Then, under her breath, “Vo’re for the help, though.”  
“What does vo’re mean?” Zena turns quickly, glaring at him. He raises his hands in defeat.  
“I’m going to bed now. Don’t try to remove my helmet. If you do, you’ll trip a wire and it will detonate. All Mandalorians would rather die then become Dar’manda. Do you understand?”  
“Yes. But one more thing.”  
“UGH. What?”  
“The colors on your armor. Those aren’t standard issue. Why’d you add them?”  
“The light green represents peace. The purple stands for luck, the yellow means remembrance, and the scarlet is defiance. The gray outfit underneath stands for mourning. Black is justice. Now, I’m going to bed, unless you wish to pester me further.”  
“Well…”  
“WHAT?!?!”  
“What’s with the bunny?”  
“The stuffed one?”  
“Yes.”  
“None of your business. Now if you excuse me,I’m going to go get changed for bed.”  
“Okay. I’ll change out here. I’ll tell you when I’m done.”

Zena lies down on the bed, wrapping the quilt around me. She pulls Tia, the rabbit, closer to her.  
“Hey.” Jamel suddenly says.  
“Dude.”  
“Sorry. It’s just, are you this uptight with everyone?”  
“Not with Kel,Mae,Riz,or Nilu.”  
“Who are they?”  
“Why do you care about me so much?!?!”  
“Well, we are going to be sharing a room indefinitely, so…”  
“ Oh my god fine. Kel is my um… buir, Mae is my ba'vodu, Riz is my vod, and… don’t tell anyone this, but Nilu is my kar’ta.”  
“Buur, be vodu, vud, kar r ta? What does that mean?”  
“One, it’s buir, ba’vodu, vod, and kar’ta, and two, figure it out. Either get a translator, or see if you can worm it out of any other Mandalorian. I recommend Riz. He’s the one with the red and black imperial patch. The commander of this area. But one thing, if he asks you about the last one, play dumb. He’ll understand the first three, but the fourth he won’t understand the reason for. Okay? Just tell him I told you to do some research and that’s the thing I gave.”  
“Why are you so worried? Is kar’ta another bad word?”  
“NO! Go to bed, Jamel. I’m not a superhero, I need sleep too.” And with that,she flipped on her proximity detection alert.  
“What was that?”  
“I turned on my PDA. Proximity detection alert. If you get too close to me, an alarm goes off.”  
“You really don’t trust anyone.”  
“GO TO SLEEP FOR GOD'S SAKE. I HAVE A STUN SETTING ON THIS BLASTER AND IF THAT’S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET YOU TO SHUT UP THEN GODDAMN I’LL DO IT!!!”  
“Ok.”


	5. Forgiveness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zena makes a new friend. He's really just scared of her at first though.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've TEMPORARILY lost my motivation for this fan fic, so I'm only going to be posting every other Friday for a bit. I'll probably start writing again soon, and then the schedule will be back to normal. I'm really sorry. I am going to be writing a different fic, so you can read that as well. That's all. I'm sorry.

“Light. Darkness. A balance.”  
-Rey Skywalker

Zena wakes up early. She always does. Ever since she started her training. She wakes up at 5:30 in the morning, every day, without fail. Jamel is still asleep. Good. She grabs her bag of toiletries, and another gray undersuit, and heads to the bathroom. She pulls her helmet off. Finally. She runs a comb through her hair. Just a few brushes, since nobody will see her anyway. Then she brushes her teeth, and splashes her face with water. She needs a shower. Good thing there’s one here. There’s even two towels. She turns the shower to cold and hops in. She always does it either sweltering hot, or freezing cold. She has to prepare herself for any climate she could be thrown in. Last time she turned it sweltering hot, so this time it was cold. She grabbed the shampoo and conditioner from her bag, and squeezed them into her hand. She didn’t have time to do them one at a time. Once she was dried off, she pulled the gray undersuit on, and pulled her hair into a bun so it wouldn’t get in the way. Then she realized it would be easier just to cut it all. She shoved the helmet on, and ran out. She shook Jamel awake. “I noticed how you cut your hair. A buzz. You have the razor with you?”  
“Um...yeah? Why?”  
“Just, where is it?”  
“My backpack, second pocket on the left side.” Zena followed his instructions, and did indeed find a razor. “Okay thanks bye!” Zena rushes back into the room. She starts along the edge, and works her way in. When she’s done, she feels so free. And now she can place the helmet on without stupid hair getting in the way. She walks back out, and throws the razor at Jamel’s bed. “What was that all about?”  
“I don’t know. I just. Needed the hair off of my head. Thanks.”  
“Wait, you mean you cut it ALL? How long was your hair?”  
“Shoulder length. I needed it gone. You know, you’re not so bad for a Zabrak. I guess.”  
“Thanks. But, you cut SHOULDER length hair?”  
“OH MY GOD YES! But so do you. If you let your hair grow out, it could be the same length, but you shave it so.”  
“Touche.”  
“Vaabir not sirbur ibac.”  
“What!?!?”  
“Sorry. I keep forgetting you don’t know Mando’a. OH wait!” Zena starts ruffling through her backpack. When her arms emerge from the backpack, they’re holding what looks to be a severely outdated datapad. “Here. It has Mando’a on it. I’ll help with the pronunciation. I used it when I was seven!”  
“Wait, you mean you didn’t grow up learning Mando’a? You didn’t learn until you were seven?”  
“Mandalore’s not a race. It’s a creed. I was a foundling, rescued by the Mandalorians.”  
“Why would they rescue you?”  
“I asked them that once. This is the way.” At that, she throws him the datapad. “Get ready, and then start reading. We’ve got an hour before we have to be at our patrol. Not exactly what I thought I’d be doing as a Mandalorian.”  
“How long have you been a Mandalorian?”  
“Um… Including today, three days.”  
“You know I’m the only non Mandalorian in this area.”  
“Of course I’M the one to get stuck with you. You should’ve been stuck with Mae. THAT would’ve been fun to watch.”  
“Mae is your…” He scrolls through the datapad. “Aunt? Mae is your aunt?”  
“Sort of. Just like Riz is sort of my brother, and Kel is sort of my father.”  
“Wait. You didn’t include Nilu there. So a kar’ta is not a family member.”  
“No.” Zena admits sheepishly.  
“Let’s see here… Kar’ta, kar’ta,kar’ta. Oh. Your heart. You love Nilu.”  
“If you tell her, when I kill you, it will be a relief after what I put you through.” Zena hisses, lifting him by his neck.  
“How are you so damn strong? You’re three years younger and shorter than me.”  
“As my aunt Mae once said to Kel, N'usulu. Does ibac Gev ni teh kicking gar sheb'ika o'r a akaanir, gar di’kut??? Or: excuse me. Does that stop ME from kicking your butt in a fight, you idiot???”  
“You’ve gotta teach me swears in Mando’a.”  
“Well, there’s no SWEAR words persay, but there are some really offensive terms. Shabuir, which means jerk, dik’ut, which means idiot, hut’uun, which means coward, and dar’manda. You never EVER use dar’manda unless it’s true, or you WILL die.”  
“Understood. It’s 6:30.”  
“Shit. get your crap together.” Zena starts putting on the rest of her armor. She’s about to dash out the door, when she comes back, Helps Jamel get in HIS armor, and pulls him in for a very quick kov’nyn. “What was that?” Jamel calls after her.  
“It’s a sign of friendship, vod.” Jamel smiles. She called him her brother.

It’s 6:50, but of course the other mandalorians are already there. Zena bonds over to Nilu and hugs her. “Nilu!!! You know, I have the most annoying roommate. He NEVER stops asking questions.”  
“Nah. I have Riz. You know how he is.” Zena snorts at that comment.  
“He’s my vod. Of course I know he farts really loudly.”  
“Hey, you guys talking about me?!?!” Riz stomps over.  
“You and your dangerous end.” Zena retorts, prompting both girls to double over in laughter.  
“I could take you right here ya know.” Riz says menacingly.  
“If you wanted to get your ass whooped.” It’s at this point Zena realizes Jamel is just awkwardly standing alone. “Oh, guys, I want you to meet someone. He’s the only non mandalorian in this area, so be nice. He’s not as bad as he looks.”  
“Jamel come over here!” Zena shouts. Jamel does as he’s told, not wanting for Zena to kill him.  
“You’re in a good mood this morning.” Jamel, Riz, and Nilu say together. Zena in turn, glares at all of them with a long, drawn out sigh. “If you would rather me be in a foul mood, then I can do that.”  
“Nonononononononono.” They all say, shaking their heads dramatically.  
“That’s what I thought.”  
Just then a general walks by. They all snap into formation, and salute, other than Zena, who just stares into space. The general notices. “You,with the purple antennas, 10 pushups, NOW.”  
Zena just laughs, and proceeds to do 20 pushups one handed. The general clearly wasn’t expecting this, and told her to do 10 more. Zena does 10 more, still with only one hand. She hates it when people underestimate her strength. The general simply scowls, and stands in front of everyone. “You will be patrolling Kijimi. It’s about half a day in the ship with hyper-speed.” He leaves. Riz takes his position. “Okay. So I know I’m the commander of this area, but I was forced here too. So, does anyone here know how to fly a ship?”  
“Riz, we’re all under 25. We don’t have our license and you know that.”  
“i-I know how to fly a ship.” Zena whips around to see it’s Jamel.  
“Okay, scratch that. Jamel knows how to fly a ship. Of course he does. I declare him the official engineer and pilot.”  
“Who made you in charge?”  
“Well, if you want to fight for it…” Zena replies, cracking her neck.”Or we could have a vote.  
All in favor of yours truly, Zena. And yes, Jamel, that’s my name, say ‘I’m not a di’kut’. Jamel, Nilu, and four others cheered for Zena. Four didn’t. Riz frowned. “Ha. Only won by one, vod. Maybe next time.” And with that, she playfully shoves his shoulder. “Alright. Who’s ready to go to Kijimi? Grab anything you might need. I’ll give you 10 minutes, and then we’ll meet back here.” Zena ran back to the cabin, grabbing snacks, her hoodie, a reusable straw, and some heated blankets all rolled up. Then she grabbed Tia and stuffed the bunny in her pouch. She’d never led a mission before. Let’s hope she didn’t screw it up.


	6. Rebel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zena and her troops run into a bit of... trouble.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Decided to post early. Will be posting another chapter right after this!

Chapter 6:   
REBEL  
“Let’s keep a little optimism here.”  
-Han Solo

“Alright, troops. This is a simple mission. Just some patrolling. Remember to have your blasters ready at all times. If we don’t fail at this, then we’ll get to see some real action!” Everyone but Jamel cheered at that. “Everyone, leave the ship. Blasters at the ready. Move out.” Zena was so excited. She got her blaster ready. You know what, there was no danger here yet. “Follow me. Everyone brought their straws, right?” Zena navigated to a cantina. “I was in the mood for hot chocolate.” she shrugs. She purchased enough for everyone. They all sat down. The hot cocoa was delicious, and soon they were all joking and laughing. Sure, every once in a while they got a dirty look, for either working for the Empire, or being too loud, but hell, it was fun. Finally, though, Zena stood up.”I got a commission. There’s been a protest. Apparently a citizen ratted us out to a Rebel Base. Be prepared. Jamel, stay in the back. You have weaker armor than us.” She could tell he was about to protest, so she glared at him. He swallowed and backed up. “Everyone, get your blasters out. Set them to stun. We can bring them in for interrogation. That will be more useful to the Empire.” They stood, waiting for the fight. The rebels arrived. Immediately a boy the height of Zena came running at her. She scoffed. Takes out her blaster. The first shot misses by a centimeter, and the boy runs up to her. She dodges his punch and twists his arm back. She punches him in the face, and he blacks out. As she’s doing this, four more people jump on her. She just defends herself, until one tries to take off her helmet. At this, she grabs her vibro-blade. Two other rebels noticed her pulling a weapon, and rushed over. They finally took her out.

When Zena woke up, she was in a cell. Her right wrist was chained to the wall. They must have figured that since she fought with her right hand, that was her dominant hand. She was actually ambidextrous. They had removed all her weapons, except for the third vibro blade hidden in a secret compartment on her belt. They never expect three. Zena casually has her hand right where the hidden pocket on her belt is. She braces herself when the door starts to creak open, only to find a girl probably a year younger than her enter. Zena can’t attack this girl. “You’re new here. The Rebels are evaluating your interrogation skills.” Zena states it as a fact, and not a question. The girl ignores this. “What is your full name?” She asks nervously. Zena stays silent. Even though she has every intent of telling them, she wants to annoy the rebels while doing so. “Did you hear me? I asked you, what’s your full name?”  
“What’s your full name?”   
“That’s none of your business. What is your name?”  
“If your name is none of my business, then what makes you think my name is YOUR business?”  
“JUST TELL ME!”  
“Okay, okay. Jeesh. It’s… mando. I ain’t spilling my real name. That’s for friends and family only. You do not qualify for either position. Sorry about what I’m about to do though, kid.” She grabs the knife, and holds it to the girls throat.”Where’s the leader of this place, and where are they storing my weapons?”   
“Um… the weapons are in the storage closet just next door, and the general running this station is probably in his office, which I can lead you to.”  
“Thanks. Sorry I had to do that. I wasn’t actually about to hurt you. Probably.” Zena ruffles through the bins, and finds all of her stuff. She re-equips everything, and has her blaster in hand. “Alright. What’s your name?”  
“m-Melenna.”  
“Okay. lead the way to the general’s office. You’re from Pantora, aren’t you?”  
“How did you know?”  
“Your posture.” Zena replies simply, giving no other explanation. Finally, they reach a large door.   
“That’s where the general is.”  
“Alright. Thanks, Melenna!” And with that, she pushes open the door. The general turns, and upon seeing her growls. “I’m told you run this place. So, I just wanted to say, could I have some REAL interrogators? Melenna’s no fun. She’s too scared of me. She’s a good soldier though. Got a lot of potential.”  
“That’s the reason you came here? To get professional interrogators?”  
“I haven’t had a proper interrogation since I was 11. They’re quite fun!”


	7. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zena gets interrogated. Properly this time. The Rebels get some new allies.

“You’ll find I’m full of surprises.”  
-Luke Skywalker

Zena’s chained up again. Properly. Her feet, and her arms. A tall man looms over her. “I need to ask you a question.” Zena states simply. The man looks taken aback at this. HE was interrogating her, not the other way around. “What happened to my troops?” Zena asks.  
“I’ve never known a trooper to care about their troops. They’re fine. We have them chained up. We tried to interrogate the commander, but he said you were the one who was really in charge.”  
“He admits it, then. Ah, vod.”  
“That’s his name?”  
“No. It means brother in Mando’a.”  
“He’s your brother?”  
“Sort of. He’s been my brother since I was seven.” The man looks confused at this.  
“You don’t know what I am, do you? The armor isn’t traditional. Mandalorian, at your service.”  
“Then what about the Zabrak? Is he a Mandalorian?”  
“Nope. He’s the only non-Mandalorian in my troops”  
“What’s your name?”  
“No harm in telling you, is there? It’s Jabba. Jabba the Hutt.”  
“Your REAL name.”  
“Zena Willhause.”  
“Okay Zena.Tell us how to defeat the empire, and we might let you go.”  
“If I knew how to defeat the Empire, they’d be long gone.” Zena states simply.  
“What?”   
“Why did YOU join the rebellion?”  
“The Empire killed my entire family for having unauthorized goods. They killed my family for forgetting to register fruit.”  
“At least they didn’t kill your entire village.”  
“Wait, the Empire killed your entire village? Why do you work for them then?”  
“Didn’t really get a choice. My alor joined forces with them, and I did NOT want to stand up to him and the Mandalorians. Oh right, alor means leader.”  
“Would you like to join the rebellion?”  
“Only if my troo-er… friends can too.”  
“Are any of them loyal to the empire?”  
“If I tell you, you have to promise to not kill them.”  
“Fine.”  
“Jamel, Rosil, Lejah, Riz, and Nuli all have a rather… violent past with the Empire. The rest are probably completely loyal. If you kill them, I will kill you, and everyone you love.”  
“Okay, okay, I get it. Don’t kill the… What’s their title?”  
“Imperial Super Commandos. You didn’t remove anyone’s helmet, did you?”  
“No…”  
“Good. Make sure you never do. EVER.”  
“Some Mandalorian thing?”  
“Do NOT call the Resol’nare that.”  
“You do realize that you’re going to have to undergo Rebel Training, right?”  
“There’s Rebel Training? And I have to go? How would you describe the Mandalorians?”  
“They’re some of the best fighters in the galaxy.”  
“And I’ve been training to be one for six years.”  
“I understand. But it’s mandatory. And you have to learn the Rebel ‘language’ if you don’t want to get mistaken for a trooper.”  
“I think I can help with that.” Zena pulls a tube from her belt. It’s red. The man backs away in fear. “Chill. It’s a can of spray paint.” and with that, she started spraying the symbol of the resistance on the side of her helmet. She smiles, and the man does too. Who wouldn’t want six Mandalorians on their side?


End file.
